New York State Introduces Recyclebank Awards Program

Beginning today, the first municipality in New York State will partake in the Recyclebank program. The Long Island town of Brookhaven will be the first community in the area to join the organization that gives reward incentives for recycling. The New York City based company has already become popular in Los Angeles and the UK, as well as 300 other communities across the United States.

Recyclebank works much like any other points program. The more its participants partake in recycling activities, the more they are rewarded. Recyclebank partners with local and national businesses, like Ziploc, Aveeno, Coca-Cola, Nestle Purina, Staples, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and ironically McDonald’s. “Earning opportunities” are provided on Recyclbank’s website, including local and national campaigns. Points are given by taking green-centric surveys after watching educational videos about recycling. Many of the partner companies feature videos based on the recycling of their products, with subsequent quizzes.

Points can be redeemed for valuable coupons for any of the participating companies. The website is also chock full of interesting information about what happens with your household products when you do and don’t recycle them.

Recyclebank urges people to lead greener lives, and makes it an easy and rewarding task. Now, New Yorkers can not only help save the planet, but save a buck while doing so!

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2 Comments

otterpopAugust 4, 2011 at 2:43 am

Here in Seattle, we just outlaw putting recylcables in the trash. Seems to work pretty well; residential recycling rates here are around 70% because the waste collectors simply won’t take your garbage if they can see recyclabes in it. I don’t think that this sort of system that requires people to go out of their way to recycle will do much good. The people who would sort and haul their recycling to such a station would probably already recycle at home, right?

lazyreaderAugust 3, 2011 at 3:24 pm

The company does not own any recycling equipment or trucks, and instead relies upon contracts negotiated on behalf of the municipalities with which they are partnered. The haulers and waste processors are compensated by the municipality, and RecycleBank takes a small portion of the transaction as a fee. But this fee in turn covers RecycleBank’s operating expenses. Additionally, the company makes its money from selling sponsorships and advertising through its multitude of marketing channels including online, direct mail and on recycling containers. So they don’t really make money and largely earn endorsements given by businesses who may have already been in hot water over environmental stories in the media such as Coca-Cola’s infamous water rights scandals in South America. Never mind the fact the company strongly opposes attempts to introduce mechanisms such as container deposit legislation. Sponsors like Kashi foods have been criticized on the ground that it promotes the impression that its products are organic, even though many products are not. Only recently did they admit to it.